"Haha!" Nezu exclaimed, his tiny paw curling into triumphant fist. "I can already smell the money rolling in!"
All Might eyed the principal with a wary smile. Wasn't he a little too excited?
"He's a formidable student." All Might nodded, watching the boy leave the stage and back towards the waiting room. "I just wish he were easier to see through."
Nezu tapped his foot against the floor as he patted the Symbol on the back. "That's what makes it exciting, old friend! He's got so many surprises!"
All Might sighed, the corner of his mouth twitching. "You may be a mouse but I thought you were the responsible adult here."
Nezu clasped his paws behind his back and rocked on his heels. "Oh, I'm very responsible! I'm just also an entrepreneur of opportunity."
"That's… one way to put it."
The principal tilted his head with a sly grin. "Come now, Toshinori. You can't tell me you don't get a little thrill watching potential like that. A student who could shake the entire system? Delicious!"
All Might chuckled softly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'll admit, he's interesting. But your excitement worries me, Nezu. You have many other students to look over as well."
Nezu waved a paw dismissively. "Oh, I multitask! Worry not, I can appreciate genius and run a school at the same time. It's called delegation."
A dry voice cut in from behind them. "Delegation, huh? Funny, that usually means I end up doing your work."
All Might turned, smiling sheepishly as Aizawa approached, scarf trailing behind him like a lazy shadow.
"Ah, Eraserhead!" Nezu beamed. "Just the man I was hoping to see! How do you feel about supervising a few… special training sessions?"
Aizawa's eyes narrowed. "Define 'special.'"
"Experimental, unpredictable, and potentially explosive," Nezu said cheerfully.
All Might coughed. "He's joking… right?"
Aizawa sighed, rubbing his temples. "No. He never is."
Nezu only chuckled, hopping up onto the table with the energy of a man announcing a new business venture. "Come now, gentlemen! Progress requires a little chaos!"
All Might smiled wryly. "In your case, Nezu, it's usually a lot of chaos."
"Precisely!" Nezu declared, tail flicking proudly. "And that's why U.A. always stays ahead of the curve!"
Aizawa muttered, "Or falls off it," as he walked away, already regretting showing up.
Nezu just hummed contentedly, eyes glinting. "Ah, to be a visionary among worriers."
—
Renji sat quietly in the waiting room, arms resting loosely on his knees as the muffled roar of the stadium echoed through the walls. The matches moved quickly now, each one flashing by on the screen above.
Iida vs. Shiozaki.
The monitor showed Iida's movements, his engines flaring blue as he darted through Shiozaki's vines. The moment the whistle blew, he was already blasting across the stage toward her, hand hovering inches from her shoulder.Winner: Iida Tenya.
Renji's eyes narrowed faintly. Not bad.
Next came Tokoyami vs. Kirishima. The clash of steel and shadow filled the screen, Kirishima's strikes were loud against the flowing defense of Dark Shadow. But the moment Kirishima overextended, the darkness wrapped around him like a wave.Winner: Tokoyami Fumikage.
Renji leaned back slightly, that one's always calm under pressure… he's more in tune with his Quirk than I thought.
Then came the one the crowd had been waiting for—Midoriya vs. Todoroki.
Renji didn't need to hear the commentary, the blinding bursts of ice and shockwaves spoke for themselves. The camera cut to the aftermath. Todoroki standing in the steam, one side blazing with fire, the other gleaming with frost.
Winner: Todoroki Shoto.
The next bracket appeared: Todoroki vs. Tokoyami
Winner: Todoroki.
Renji exhaled softly. The pattern was set.
Then the screen shifted again.
Up next: Renji vs. Iida Tenya.
The crowd outside roared at the announcement.
Renji rose, rolling his shoulders once, the faintest hum of energy coursing beneath his skin.
He adjusted his wristbands and exhaled through his nose. "Showtime."
As he stepped toward the tunnel leading to the arena, the sound of the crowd swelled, bright and hungry. Renji's eyes narrowed just slightly.
Let's see how fast you really are, Iida.
—
"And… welcome back everyone!" Midnight cracked her whip in a stylish twirl, eliciting cheers and claps from the surrounding crowd.
She pointed to the stage, the cameras following her guidance to the two combatants on the stage.
"In one corner we have the tenacious and overly stubborn… Iida Tenya!"
The roars shook the stadium, the energy was almost palpable. Iida hadn't had a chance to show off his speed during his first match but more than made up for it during the last one against Shiozaki.
Iida bowed deeply to the spectators, making sure to address each section.
"And in the opposite corner we have the fan favorite, the one who has yet to falter… Kanzaki Renji!!" Midnight snapped the whip toward Renji's corner, where he casually gazed at the class representative.
"WHOO!!" Someone cheered from nearby as the stadium trembled under the weight of countless viewers.
"Let's go Kanzaki!" Another yelled, "Put this guy into the dirt!"
Renji stifled the noise, choosing to instead face the bigger concern.
Iida stared back just as intensely, glasses flashing against the bright rays.
"I have no plans on losing." Iida yelled from across the stage, shifting into position.
Tilting his head, Renji let out a light chuckle, "Funny you should say that…"
With a sharp crack, his neck snapped back into place with a wide grin. "Let's see who's faster, Iida!"
"BEGIN!"
—
At the sound of the match beginning, a large blast echoed through the stadium, smoke billowing up from the two students' clash.
"Did your eyes catch that, Aizawa!" Present exclaimed, manipulating the cameras to get closer. "They weren't messing around!"
Aizawa nodded firmly, eyeing his friend from the side. "Iida's Quirk is meant for speed, just like his brother's."
He shifted in his seat, rising slightly as the energy from the crowd seemed to infect him too. "But Renji's shown us that he can match a specialized Quirk. Let's see just how fast he can go."
"HAHA!" Present Mic laughed, bright hair defying gravity. "How exhilarating!"
—
The smoke thinned and two blurs burst apart in opposite directions.
Iida's engines howled, white hot exhaust flaring as he skidded to a stop just at the edge of the arena. Across from him, Renji straightened, brushing a smear of dust off his sleeve.
"Impressive acceleration," Renji said evenly, voice almost lost to the crowd's noise.
"I trained to surpass my limits," Iida replied, his tone steady.
He looked down, memories flashing from the last time his Quirk was truly needed.
"I could've been faster…" He began, recalling the USJ incident where he could do nothing but run to get backup. "No… I needed to be…"
Before the last word left his mouth, he was already gone.
A streak of blue cut through the air, straight for Renji's chest.
But Renji had already foreseen everything. With a smooth pivot, the attack grazed past his shoulder with a gust of hot wind. He raised his arm, clasping tight on Iida's forearm.
With a heave, Renji spun rapidly, sending Iida flying back where he came from.
Iida hit the ground in a controlled roll, boots screeching as he dug in hard to kill the momentum. His engines sputtered for a second, then roared back to life with a thunderous crack.
Renji didn't give chase, choosing to watch carefully. His stance wasn't aggressive, tracking every twitch of Iida's movements.
Steam hissed from Iida's calves as he reoriented. "You read me that quickly…"
Renji flexed his fingers once, raising his hand to point at his skull. "Speed's only useful if your opponent can't predict it."
He lowered his hand, shifting into a pose that almost beckoned Iida.
"I've saw your performance during the Cavalry Battle." Renji's voice held a hint of anticipation. "You've been holding back."
Iida's eyes gleamed, his breath short but composed. "Analysis is meaningless if you underestimate me."
Renji's lips quirked faintly. "Underestimate you? No." He shifted his weight, rolling his neck once. "I'm telling you to stop wasting time."
Iida's brows furrowed. "What?"
"Go all out," Renji said simply. "That special move you've been saving—use it."
The stadium murmured at his words, whispers spreading like ripples at the casual conversation between the fighters.
"I'd rather face you at your fastest," Renji continued, his tone carrying easily across the stage. "Otherwise, this will end before you realize it started."
The light in Iida's eyes sharpened. "You'll regret that arrogance."
"Maybe," Renji replied. "But at least I'll see what you're really capable of."
Iida straightened, the blue glow at his calves pulsing brighter and brighter. The roar of his engines grew to a fever pitch as his jaw set.
"Very well," he declared, dropping into position. "You asked for it—Recipro Burst!"
The arena floor erupted beneath Iida's feet as his engines detonated in full force.
Renji's grin stretched wider, a little too wide. A faint tremor of laughter escaped his throat, rising into something akin to glee as his adrenaline spiked.
In an instant, Iida turned into blur of blue light streaking toward Renji, faster than before. Faster than most could even register.
But Renji didn't flinch. His eyes tracked every flicker of motion with razor focus, the corners of his mouth twitching with the thrill.
"Heh… you're beautifully fast!" he barked, his voice cutting through the roaring crowd. "Come on—show me more!"
Iida appeared at his flank, leg already cocked for a devastating kick. The air screamed as the blow came down—
—and Renji met it head-on.
The shockwave cracked outward as Renji caught Iida's leg mid-swing, boots grinding against the fractured tiles. The sheer force nearly tore him off balance, but he only laughed harder.
"Come on, Iida," Renji taunted, eyes glowing bright. "Your engines burn for a few seconds. Mine never stop running."
Iida gritted his teeth and burst forward again, the heat from his engines scorching the air. But this time, Renji moved first.
Faster than he could react, Renji vanished.
The air rippled where he stood, then cracked like thunder.
"Wha—!?" Iida barely caught the flicker before something slammed into his side. The impact sent him spiraling, his body bouncing across the tiles before the fire in his calves stopped him.
The crowd exploded in a cacophony of noise.
"Did you see that!?" Present Mic screamed. "He's so fast!"
The cameras struggled to keep up. Renji blurred back into view, steam curling from his skin like heat haze. His grin was feral now, eyes gleaming.
Iida staggered upright, breath ragged, clutching his ribs. "Y-you… that speed…"
Renji's laughter cut him off. "Feels good, doesn't it? Pushing past what your body can handle. That heartbeat in your ears? That's what I call life."
"Shut it!" Iida roared, igniting every engine at once. The explosion of thrust tore at his skin, propelling him forward with blinding speed. "I won't lose!"
Renji's pupils shrank. "That's it—!"
They collided in a burst of light and sound. The arena shuddered, cracks spiderwebbing across the floor. For a heartbeat, no one could tell who had landed the hit.
Then another flash struck like lightning.
Renji pivoted midair, arm whipping upward in a perfect arc. His palm struck Iida's chest, right over his lungs.
The engines sputtered and time seemed to freeze.
Iida's eyes went wide as the heat collapsed in his calves, his final burst choking off mid motion. A second later, Renji's other hand came down in a hammering blow that drove Iida into the ground with a shockwave that shook the stage.
The noise instantly died.
Renji stood over him, eyes shining even as his opponent fell to the ground.
He exhaled, brushing hair from his eyes. "You burn bright, Iida… but even stars go out fast."
The referee's voice cracked through the stunned silence.
"WINNER—KANZAKI RENJI!"